Thomas Smale says, “If you’re subscribed to any number of newsletters, there’s a good chance you saw Black Friday promotions coming from your favorite brands — and those promotions are increasing each year, coming from unlikely or at least less likely places. So, if we now look back a month to take stock of this year, 2016’s, results: How does Black Friday affect businesses, and how has it changed, with the rise of online stores and mobile shopping? Is it helping or hurting businesses? What were some of the most successful Black Friday deals? Black Friday results and how... [...]

Stefan Benndorf says, “Q4 is the busiest shopping season of the year, both online and off. Mobile commerce is on the rise, but there is still a gap between how much time people spend shopping on their devices and how much and how often they actually buy. Online sales account for less than 10 percent of the total global retail market. But trends may be shifting, and that spells opportunity for digital marketers. An increasing number of consumers are making purchases online. Just look at Cyber Monday, which set a new online sales record in the US. Since people spend so much of their device-using... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “In order to avoid the sweaty, stressful nightmare that is a department store during December – many consumers now choose to do their Christmas shopping online. So, how do retailers ensure customers buy during this incredibly competitive period? Here are seven tactics, with seven current examples of retailers putting them into practice. Delivery dates & info The nearer we get to Christmas, the more likely we are to switch to shopping in stores for fear of items not being delivered before the big day. Consequently, it’s important that retailers provide prominent... [...]

Alex Wolk says, “For everybody, the holiday season is a time to come together and celebrate the close of another year. But for e-commerce businesses, the holidays are a time to really give business a boost. Follow these tips below to make sure that the stressful season doesn’t get the best of you. 1. Do something to stand out. Every e-commerce site is working hard to up their game over the next couple of months, so you can’t just sit on your hands. Find a way that you can be different from the crowd, whether that’s by offering cool content (which we’ll take about later), incredible... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for that weird uncle you only see once a year – don’t worry. Many of the UK’s biggest retailers are currently promoting gift guides and finders, conveniently designed to help you discover the ideal present for all. But are these features really that helpful? Or are they just a way of fleshing out email editorial or pointing you towards the most expensive items online? (Forgive me – what’s Christmas without a healthy dose of cynicism.) Here’s how top retailers are using gift guides to inspire... [...]

Jayson Demers says, “We’re well into December, which means brands have had a few good weeks to warm up their holiday marketing strategies. If you haven’t yet developed your own brand’s holiday-specific marketing strategy, don’t worry — there’s still time before this year slips by. And, better yet, you can look at some of the best marketing campaigns out there to generate inspiration for your own creative, forward-thinking campaign. Take a look at these five brands doing holiday marketing right: 1. John Lewis and “Buster the Boxer” Retailer John Lewis kicked... [...]

Lindsay Kolowich says, “Every year, as soon as Halloween is behind us, it seems like the floodgates open. Without warning, there are holiday marketing campaigns everywhere, with countless businesses rushing to cash in on a spending frenzy. There are holiday emails, social media posts, and TV ads — oh, my. It might seem like holiday marketing is out of control. But some brands do it very, very well. How? Well, these brands create campaigns that actually delight customers instead of adding to holiday “noise.” They evoke emotions and promote sharing, sometimes even connecting... [...]

Bart Mroz says, “The busiest month of the year is now upon us, and brands and retailers of all sizes have prepared for the massive surge in sales that takes place during this time. According to the National Retail Federation, the holiday season can represent as much as 30% of retailers’ annual sales. So for retail brands, there’s no more important time of year. What happens in December often determines whether yearly sales goals are missed or exceeded. Whatever your product offering is, holiday ecommerce is a multi-billion dollar opportunity for retailers. Hopefully your ecommerce business... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “Shopping ad growth continues to cannibalize text ad spend on desktop. Retail spend shifted significantly from paid search text ads to paid search shopping ads on desktop this Black Friday weekend compared to a year ago. That’s according to a report from paid search insights firm AdGooroo, a Kantar Media company, based on analysis of 2,500 top retail product keywords. From Black Friday through Cyber Monday, advertisers spent $8.9 million on Google desktop text ads across the keyword set analyzed in the US this year compared to $15.4 million in 2015. Product listing ad... [...]

SBT team says, “Holidays can be a trying time for any company. While some companies see increased profitability and patronage during this time of year, other businesses struggle with marketing, consumer interest and increasing labor costs. However, many of these issues can be eliminated by adapting your ecommerce platform to the mobile-centric nature of today’s online shoppers. How to Increase Mobile Sales During the Holidays Start Early When it comes to offering steep holiday discounts, retailers are now starting their sales sooner than ever before. As such, it’s a good idea to begin... [...]